The best way to support American soldiers

For the past 18 years, we’ve all overdosed on military news. The coverage from Afghanistan, Iraq and worldwide counter-terrorism operations, partly due to embedded reporters, provides an unprecedented view of the American military. We’ve glimpsed the anxiety, boredom, camaraderie, fear, courage and compassion found in combat transmitted a few sound bites at a time.

From this mosaic, you see reflected in the faces of our troops a deep-seated confidence coupled with commitment to accomplishing the task at hand. You will not find these traits as clearly evident in any other military in the world today. Gen. Douglas MacArthur praised “that enduring fortitude, that patriotic self-abnegation, and that invincible determination” of the American serviceman. So what makes these men and women different—so much so that the politicians’ promises of ultimate success seem fully justified?

Clearly, having the best equipment and the resources of the most powerful nation in the world behind you is a definite plus. Our soldiers are not born unique, but change through training, assessment, inculcation of values and an overwhelming desire to win.

At every echelon, from individual training to high-level war games, the American military trains as it will have to fight. Our training devices and simulations are the best available and enable learning the lessons others can only learn in actual combat. Anyone who has attended a Cope Thunder exercise pilot debriefing at Elmendorf or Eielson Air Force bases, an after-action review at the joint readiness training center with a U.S. Army Alaska unit or a senior leader discussion during a Corps-level war fighter exercise will attest to the focus and visible candor in the assessment process. The hard lessons are learned in training so they don’t have to be paid in combat blood.

Orchestrating myriad activities (of which we see only a fraction) into a coherent campaign, let alone a winning one, is immensely difficult—perhaps even the most complex human endeavor. To the uninitiated, the military mind has been described as narrow, doctrinaire, authoritarian and even simplistic. The American military mindset is exactly the opposite when it comes to war fighting. It is abundantly clear that the course of our current wars, or any war, cannot be forecast accurately. The ability to adapt to changing situations, react more quickly than the enemy and take advantage of opportunities as they appear is often what distinguishes winners from losers—and there is no military more adaptable than America’s.

This combination of realistic training and candid assessment has built the learning culture of excellence pervading America’s military. It spawns the confidence we see on the evening news. Ultimately, what makes the American soldier unique is that he is distinctly American: an independent thinker with a critical eye, trained to understand his role in something larger than himself and confident his actions are of value to both his comrades and the nation as a whole.

The soldiers joining the all-volunteer force reflect all the traits of our population. While they might be a bit more patriotic than most, they share the same biases, issues and problems of our society. But over time, due to training, introduction to the military way of life and continuous interactions with other soldiers they develop an ethos different from everyone else. A set of seven values were summarized back in the 1990s by then-Army Chief of Staff Denny Reimer: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity and personal courage. These same values infuse our military today. In addition to these values, our soldiers share one overarching goal: They want to win.

Unfortunately, without clear political objectives, defining a win is virtually impossible. Our inability to clarify our strategic goals for many of our worldwide operations slowly erodes our soldiers’ commitment to winning. The continuing caustic nature of domestic politics will eventually filter down to the military and erode our military values. How can we expect our soldiers to embrace Gen Reimer’s values when their supposed political leaders apparently believe in none of them? There is no quick route out of our current tribal politics, but collectively, we must demand our politicians of all persuasions live the values that apply to our military.

So whenever you have the chance, thank a soldier, or anyone serving in our military, and any veteran—it is always appreciated. But we must engage our political leaders and press them for clear and coherent objectives so soldiers can win, even if the definition of victory is less than total. More importantly, see if those in office reflect the values embraced by our soldiers and if not, replace them. Supporting these changes will keep our military the finest in the world. This may be the best way to thank a soldier.

Dan Bonney is a retired career Army officer from Eagle River who loves soldiers. He still wears his dog tags, along with the plastic training aid listing the seven Army values.

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